EMTpro Podcast

In this episode, the whole team is back for a spirited round of “EMS Jeopardy.” Tune in for a fun and informative review of EMS topics at all difficulty levels!

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly talk about their experiences in toxic environments or around toxic individuals. They discuss how easy it is to become part of the toxic culture, and why that makes it crucial to recognize associated patterns of thoughts and behavior and rise above them.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly are back in the studio as Holly leads the team through an in-depth discussion on the trauma death triad (diamond). Holly provides a scientific breakdown of each component, and then the team discusses the practical implications of each component in the “real-life” management of a trauma patient in the field. 

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly are joined by guest Matt Shamrell, a burn unit ICU nurse.

Steve and Dan co-host their first show without Holly as they welcome special guest Eric Jaeger. Eric is an RSI Paramedic and Attorney from New Hampshire who leads the discussion on best practices for physical restraint and chemical sedation and the legal ramifications these interventions carry. Eric shares his knowledge of the tragic circumstances surrounding George Floyd and Elijah McClain's deat...

In today’s episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly have the opportunity to discuss an interesting MCI call with guest, Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Snider. At the time of the incident, Kyle was a new paramedic graduate with wilderness medicine training who was working in a rural department with limited resources. Kyle discusses the call from the point of dispatch to call completion and reviews what he felt w...

In this episode, Holly talks about a new program she is helping head, whose goal is to provide treatment to patients suffering from opioid addiction.

In this follow-up episode, Bruce and the team continue their discussion on ventilation and airway management. This episode goes into much greater depth on how ETCO2 can be used to manage an array of patients effectively and how a thorough understanding and monitoring of end-tidal during a resuscitation attempt can help ensure a patient remains neurologically intact, assuming ROSC is achieved.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly talk with Bruce Opsal, a long-time firefighter and paramedic who has spent years leading training programs centered on effective airway management and ventilation. Bruce first emphasizes the importance of airway management in any patient, especially those in cardiac arrest.

This episode demonstrates the importance of history gathering and provides a deeper insight into lab values and how they are used to diagnose patients with less obvious disease processes. Listeners should walk away feeling better equipped to identify both endocrine and electrolyte imbalances in patients with unique presentations.

In this episode, Steve presents two trauma case studies for the group to discuss. While patient care in both of these calls went well, and these scenarios provide an overview of successful extrication and patient management following both an MVA and significant blunt force trauma, the distinguishing factor in each is a very specific element that caught Steve "off guard" and forced him to revisit t...

In today's episode, the team talks with Daniel Sundahl, a 20-year Firefighter/Paramedic, and artist. Daniel discusses how his experiences navigating PTSD led him to create powerful artwork, which is now helping open the conversation around mental health for first responders.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, Holly, and Dr. Selbak review a few of their calls involving aortic dissections. Because aortic dissection is a relatively uncommon disease process, and many severe cases never make it to the hospital, reviewing these cases provides a unique opportunity for the listener to gather abundant knowledge in one sitting that may otherwise take years to gather in the field.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly talk with Dr. Ramsey Selbak about the increasing prevalence of violence in healthcare. They each take a turn providing examples of dangerous situations they've been involved in, how they handled them, and how they have adjusted their tactics as providers since. This episode introduces a much-needed conversation about provider safety in healthcare and how it h...

In this episode, the team discusses specific ways efficiency can be improved in the field of EMS. The team discusses cardiac arrest response, checklists, and managing equipment on chaotic scenes. This episode encourages all providers to think critically about how we can each advocate for change that has the potential to dramatically improve patient outcomes.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly have the opportunity to chat with Dr. Selbak in the studio. Dr. Selbak introduces an exciting case he came across while working in the emergency department and discusses with the team how he went about treating it.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly discuss their experiences with OB calls, specifically field deliveries, that were outside a typical “textbook” experience. They dive into the aspects of the scene, patient, transport, and crew to discuss what made their experiences stand out. Each provider will also take the time to address a unique OB emergency related to the patient in their story or that t...

In this special episode, we celebrate our co-host, Dan Livengood, on his retirement after 27 years in the fire and EMS service. Dan is one of the most selfless and caring people you'd ever hope to have show up at your door during your time of need. We learn from his co-workers just how much fun it was to work with Dan and what life in the firehouse with him was like. 

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly discuss EMS education with Adam Culbertson, a current educator in North Carolina. The team has the opportunity to ask Adam about EMS education and how it is changing, as well as some trends we can expect to see in the coming years.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly are joined by Dr. Ramsey Selbak, EMTprep's Physician Advisor. Dr. Ramsey discusses his background in emergency medicine as well as his experience and relationship with field providers. The team then delves into an age old rut into which many EMS providers fall - chasing numbers. What do we mean by this?  Trying to correct specific lab values or vitals without...

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly discuss calls that are not "black and white", and have forced them to think outside the box. Steve provides Dan and Holly with a case he encountered and has them walk through their decision making. He then reflects on how he and his crew responded to the scenario. Holly reviews a call she had that presented a variety of challenges and forced her to work in th...

Steve, Dan, and Holly are back in the studio after a 6-month hiatus. The team reviews disaster medicine, how to get in the door, and what to expect on deployments. Dan Livengood is interviewed and discussed his multiple deployments that started in 2001 in El Salvador up to his most recent deployment to Ukraine. 

Steve is back in the studio to give you a quick update on our friend and guest, Debbie Bailey. Steve gives a timeline for when the trio will be back in the studio again to record the next episodes of the show. 

Steve, Dan, and Holly bring special guest Debbie Bailey on the show to discuss the process of dying and death itself. The trio listen as Debbie describes her battle with a terminal illness and what her recommendations are for EMS providers who are called to treat those in their final days and moments. 

Steve, Dan, and Holly bring in Dr. Ramsey Selbak to discuss Ketamine use from an ER Physician's perspective. In addition to some case reviews, key aspects of Ketamine dosing, indications, and side effects are discussed.